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90s Slang You Should Know

failing

[fey-ling] /ˈfeɪ lɪŋ/
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noun
1.
an act or instance of failing; failure:
His failing is due to general incompetence.
2.
a defect or fault; shortcoming; weakness:
His lack of knowledge is a grave failing.
preposition
3.
in the absence or default of:
Failing payment, we shall sue.
Origin of failing
Middle English
1250-1300
Middle English word dating back to 1250-1300; See origin at fail, -ing1
Related forms
failingly, adverb
failingness, noun
Synonyms
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2. See fault.

fail

[feyl] /feɪl/
verb (used without object)
1.
to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved:
The experiment failed because of poor planning.
2.
to receive less than the passing grade or mark in an examination, class, or course of study:
He failed in history.
3.
to be or become deficient or lacking; be insufficient or absent; fall short:
Our supplies failed.
4.
to dwindle, pass, or die away:
The flowers failed for lack of rain.
5.
to lose strength or vigor; become weak:
His health failed after the operation.
6.
to become unable to meet or pay debts or business obligations; become insolvent or bankrupt.
7.
(of a building member, structure, machine part, etc.) to break, bend, crush, or be otherwise destroyed or made useless because of an excessive load.
8.
to stop functioning or operating:
The electricity failed during the storm.
9.
Slang.
  1. to make an embarrassing or humorous mistake, be in a humiliating situation, etc., and be subject to ridicule:
    Showed up late to the wedding? You fail!
  2. to be embarrassingly incompetent, stupid, etc.:
    She fails at life. I just failed at walking and fell on my face.
  3. to be bad or of inferior quality:
    The play is terrible—even the music fails.
verb (used with object)
10.
to be unsuccessful in the performance or completion of:
He failed to do his duty.
11.
(of some expected or usual resource) to prove of no use or help to:
His friends failed him. Words failed her.
12.
to receive less than a passing grade or mark in:
He failed history.
13.
to declare (a person) unsuccessful in a test, course of study, etc.; give less than a passing grade to:
The professor failed him in history.
noun
14.
Slang.
  1. an embarrassing or humorous mistake, humiliating situation, etc., that is subject to ridicule and given an exaggerated importance:
    Their app update is a massive fail.
  2. the condition or quality resulting from having failed in this way:
    His online post is full of fail.
  3. a person who fails in this way.
15.
Stock Exchange.
  1. a stockbroker's inability to deliver or receive security within the required time after sale or purchase.
  2. such an undelivered security.
16.
Obsolete. failure as to performance, occurrence, etc.
interjection
17.
Slang.
  1. (used to mock an embarrassing or humorous mistake, humiliating situation, etc., giving it an exaggerated importance):
    A tattoo that misspells your name? Fail!
  2. (used to indicate that something is bad or of inferior quality)
adjective
18.
unsuccessful; failed:
a totally fail policy.
19.
Slang.
  1. of or noting an embarrassing or humorous mistake, humiliating situation, etc.:
    the top 100 funniest fail photos on the Internet.
  2. embarrassingly incompetent, stupid, etc:
    Why am I so fail?
  3. very bad or of inferior quality.
Idioms
20.
without fail, with certainty; positively:
I will visit you tomorrow without fail.
Origin
1175-1225; Middle English failen < Anglo-French, Old French faillir < Vulgar Latin *fallīre, for Latin fallere to disappoint, deceive
Related forms
unfailed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2017.
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Examples from the Web for failing
Contemporary Examples
Historical Examples

  • "This is their misfortune or failing, not the fault of the system," returned Ida.

    Alone Marion Harland

  • There is room for two or three, from the Jameses failing us at the last.

    Deerbrook Harriet Martineau

  • In 1876, he entered the ministry of the Baptist church but on account of failing health was compelled to leave the work.

    History of Company K. 1st (Inft,) Penn'a Reserves H. N. (Henry N.) Minnigh

  • When they have absorbed the sauce, complete the cooking with broth or, failing that, with water.

    The Italian Cook Book Maria Gentile

  • If I am neglecting my lawful opportunities, if I am failing to see wisely and correctly, I shall be grateful for counsel.

    Unleavened Bread Robert Grant
British Dictionary definitions for failing

failing

/ˈfeɪlɪŋ/
noun
1.
a weak point; flaw
preposition
2.
(used to express a condition) in default of: failing a solution this afternoon, the problem will have to wait until Monday
Derived Forms
failingly, adverb

fail1

/feɪl/
verb
1.
to be unsuccessful in an attempt (at something or to do something)
2.
(intransitive) to stop operating or working properly: the steering failed suddenly
3.
to judge or be judged as being below the officially accepted standard required for success in (a course, examination, etc)
4.
(transitive) to prove disappointing, undependable, or useless to (someone)
5.
(transitive) to neglect or be unable (to do something)
6.
(intransitive) to prove partly or completely insufficient in quantity, duration, or extent
7.
(intransitive) to weaken; fade away
8.
(intransitive) to go bankrupt or become insolvent
noun
9.
a failure to attain the required standard, as in an examination
10.
without fail, definitely; with certainty
Word Origin
C13: from Old French faillir, ultimately from Latin fallere to disappoint; probably related to Greek phēlos deceitful

fail2

/fel/
noun
1.
(Scot) a turf; sod
Word Origin
perhaps from Scottish Gaelic fàl
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word Origin and History for failing
n.

"defect, fault," 1580s, verbal noun from fail (v.).

fail

v.

early 13c., from Old French falir (11c., Modern French faillir) "be lacking, miss, not succeed," from Vulgar Latin *fallire, from Latin fallere "to trip, cause to fall;" figuratively "to deceive, trick, dupe, cheat, elude; fail, be lacking or defective." Related: Failed; failing. Replaced Old English abreoðan.

n.

late 13c. (e.g. without fail), from Old French faile "deficiency," from falir (see fail (v.)). The Anglo-French form of the verb, failer, also came to be used as a noun, hence failure.

fail

n.

late 13c. (e.g. without fail), from Old French faile "deficiency," from falir (see fail (v.)). The Anglo-French form of the verb, failer, also came to be used as a noun, hence failure.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Idioms and Phrases with failing

fail

see:
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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